DISK DRIVES - RAM/ROM CARD

A number of companies make both internal and external Card Drives for your desktop PC computer. These drives look like floppy disk drives, and let you use your RAM or ROM card like a floppy drive to exchange data between your HP 95LX and PC. Card drives generally come with software "device drivers" that install onto the PC so the PC knows how to handle the card drive.

Here is a list of the card drive manufacturers of whom we are aware. Expect a future article in The HP Palmtop Paper that compares the features and pricing of the various alternatives.

Many Alternatives

Adtron makes a whole series of SolidState Data Drives including external and internal single- and dual-card drives with serial, parallel, or PC Bus interface. The external drives connect to the PC either via the serial or parallel port; the internal drives fit inside the PC.

External Drive with serial interface

Availability. . . . . . . . . Now

Pricing . . . . . . . . . . . .$350

External Drive with parallel interface

Availability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW

Pricing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$350

Internal Drive with Bus interface

Availability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW

Single drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$345

Dual drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$640

ROM Card Programming Option

(for external serial or parallel drive)

Availability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW

Pricing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100

PC/XT/AT ISA Bus Adapter

Availability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW

Pricing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$141

COMPANY: Adtron Corporation, 128 West Boxelder Place, Suite 102, Chandler, AZ 85224; 602-926-9324; Fax: 602-926-9359.

Internal Drive

Databook offers an internal ThinCard drive. The drive also programs FLASH ROM cards. An external card drive will be released in first quarter, 1992.

Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW

Pricing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$489

COMPANY: Databook Inc., 10 Alder Bush, Rochester, NY 14624; 716-889-4204; Fax: 716-889-2593; Modem: 716-889-2593.

INTERNATIONAL Parallel Drive for Europeans

DIP offers the Pico, an external card drive that connects to your PC's parallel port.

Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW

Pricing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175

COMPANY: DIP Systems, 32 /Frederick Sanger Road, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 5XN ENGLAND; 0483 301555; Fax: 0483 301434.

Parallel Drive For the U.S.

PAMCO offers a small inexpensive external card drive that connects to your PC's parallel port.

Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW

Pricing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $149.95

COMPANY: Pamco Electronics Inc., 377 Carowinds Blvd., Fort Mill, SC 29715; 800-255-6265 or 803-548-6740.

External Serial Drive

Palmtree offers a RAM card reader that connects to the serial port of any PC-compatible, the HP 95LX, or PS/2 computer powered by an external AC adapter.

Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOW

Pricing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$229

COMPANY: Palmtree Products Inc., 51 Sawyer Road, Suite 150, Waltham, MA 02154; 617-891-3880; Fax: 617-647-4075.